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The best of DEWA 19 with ONCE MEKEL: Nostalgia for old times

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IO, Jakarta – CMA Entertainment will reunite DEWA 19 with Once Mekel “The Best of DEWA 19 with Once Mekel” Concert, to be held at The Kasablanka Hall, Kota Kasablanka Mall, on Friday, 4 October 2019. This spectacular event is a moment of nostalgia for all of the performers: Once Mekel last shared a stage with DEWA 19 ten years ago. The Concert will also feature Tyo Nugros, Second Born, and Dul Jaelani.

DEWA 19 is a legendary band whose hits remain timeless. Their songs play in the background of uncountable life stories in our homeland. This great rock group was formed by Dhani Ahmad Prasetyo, a.k.a. Ahmad Dhani in 1986 in Surabaya. Before becoming DEWA 19, the band’s name was initially DEWA (“Divine”). It was the acronym of its founding members’ names: Dhani Ahmad Prasetyo (keyboard, vocals), Erwin Prasetya (bass), Wawan Juniarso (drum), and Andra Ramadhan (guitar). The band underwent numerous changes of personnel and genres, whether pop, jazz, and rock. The Band’s golden age started with the entry of Ari Lasso and the change of name into DEWA 19. The “19” was added because the age of the members was around 19 at the time. The latest formation of DEWA 19 is Ahmad Dhani, Yuke Sampurna, Andra Junaidi, Once Mekel, and Agung Yudha.

The group shone throughout the 1990s with lead vocal Ari Lasso and throughout the 2000s with lead vocal Once Mekel. Their albums nearly always had positive response in the market. In fact, DEWA’s 2000 album, “Bintang Lima” (“Five Stars” or “Five-pointed Stars”) was one of Indonesia’s best-selling albums of all time with a sales record of 2 million. Throughout its career, DEWA 19 has received many awards, including BASF Awards and AMI Awards. It was even awarded the LibForAll Award from the United States for their dedication and contribution towards peace and religious tolerance efforts. 

In 2008, DEWA 19 is listed in the “The Immortals: 25 of Indonesia’s Greatest Artists of All Time” compiled by Rolling Stone magazine. DEWA is acknowledged as a legend or icon in Indonesia’s history of popular music. Ahmad Dhani as an individual artist is also listed here. Meanwhile, Andra Ramadhan is included in the list of “50 Indonesian Top Guitarists of All Time”, while both Ari Lasso and Once Mekel are listed in the “50 Indonesian Top Singers of All Time”.

In 2011, DEWA 19 was declared officially disbanded after 25 years of existence. However, their fans in Indonesia continue to wait for their next act.

CMA Entertainment as the organizer seeks to return DEWA 19 to its 2000-era success. This year is just the right time to show “The Best of Dewa 19 with Once Mekel”, which will showcase all of DEWA 19 hits with Once Mekel lead vocals. This is something that all Baladewa in Indonesia have been waiting for. It will bring back the glorious shine of “Bintang Lima”, DEWA 19’s best album. Yet the concept will be unique and different from that of all DEWA 19 shows.

CMA Entertainment’s creative team and DEWA 19 Management have cooperated in order to make this show a special one. Ray Sahabuddin, Producer from CMA Entertainment, reiterated that DEWA 19 is one of our land’s best music groups. “So many DEWA 19 hits accompany the life stories of its many fans in Indonesia,” he said. “As we all know, DEWA 19 had its last show with Once Mekel 10 years ago. Naturally, many Baladewas miss Once Mekel’s performance with DEWA 19. We will bring back the best nostalgia of the “Bintang Lima” era. This is why we are sure that we have something special by bringing you “The Best of DEWA 19” with Once Mekel, Tyo Nugros and Dul Jaelani.”

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